Apparatus for positioning work



NOV. 11, 1958 A NIMALLER 2,859,531

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING WORK I Filed Dec. 27. 1954 INVENTOR. A4075 Al. Mauve A rra mvEr United ates Patent APPARATUS FOR POSITIONNG WORK Aloys N. Maller, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application December 27, 1954, Serial No. 477,864

3 Claims. (Cl. 33180) This invention relates to a device for positioning a rotating piece of work having a bore therein so that the central axis of said bore Will be coincident with the axis of rotation of said piece of work. This has particular application where a piece of work having a bore therein has been worked upon in some manner such as being heat treated with a consequent resulting unevenness in the surface of said bore, also when said bore has only been roughed in and it is necessary to finish or polish the surface of said bore to within a very close tolerance. It is desirable to have some means for positioning said piece of Work so that when it is rotated for the finishing of the surface of the bore therein, the central axis of said bore Will be coincident with the axis of rotation of said piece of work.

It is an object therefore of this invention to provide a device and method for positioning a rotating piece of work having a bore therein so that the central axis of said bore will coincide with the axis of rotation of said piece of work.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device comprising a member having a portion adapted to be disposed in a bore in a rotating piece of work adjacent the surface thereof, and means connected with said member for showing variations of said surface from said portion of said member as said bore is rotated thereabout, the same being done at the inner and outer ends of said bore whereby said work may be positioned to eliminate said variations so that the central axis of said bore will coincide with the axis of rotation of said piece of work.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device comprising a tube disposed in a bore in a rotating piece of work, said tube having an end portion for discharging laterally thereof and being positioned adjacent the surface of said bore, a supporting member carrying said tube, a passage in said supporting member communicating with said tube, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said passage and tube, a member carried by said supporting member for showing variations in said pressure in said tube as said work is rotated about said tube, and means for adjusting the position of said work to eliminate said variations and bring the axis of said bore into coincidence with the axis of rotation of said piece of work.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a device having a tube disposed in a bore in a rotating piece of work, said tube having a lateral passage at its end portion and said end portion being positioned adjacent the surface of said bore, a supporting member carrying said tube, a passage in said support ing member communicating with said tube, a conduit supplying fluid under pressure to said passage, means for adjusting the position of said tube in relation to said bore and move it to various positions longitudinally of said bore, means for adjusting the position of said rotating piece of work, and means for showing variations in said pressure in said tube as said bore is rotated about said tube whereby the position of said piece of work will be adjusted to eliminate said variation so that the central axis of said bore will coincide with the axis of rotation of said piece of work.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of applicants device showing some parts in dotted line and a portion broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section taken on line .2-2 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows with a portion added; and v Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, a support member 10 is provided. In the embodiment of the invention as here illustrated, said member 10 is shown to be generally parallelepiped in form having a top portion 10a, a bottom portion 10b, side portions 10c and 10d and end portions 106 and H3 At one end of said top portion M311 is a raised portion 10 Said member 10 has an opening 10g disposed vertically therethrough adjacent end portion 102. Said opening as here disclosed has a semi-cylindrical portion at one side and having its other side tapered to a rounded end. Disposed through said opening 10g is a standard 12 cylindrical in form and being upstanding from a base 13. Said base will be of substantial weight. A set screw 15 is threaded into said end portion ltle to communicate with said opening 10g to hold said member 10 in any desired position vertically of said standard 12. As shown here said screw 15 is provided with a knurled head. Saidbase 13 is supported by a pair of spaced buttons 13a at its front end and at its rear end is adjustably supported by a screw 13b threaded therethrough and having a hand wheel 13c secured to the upper end thereof. Said base 13 .will rest on a work table or bench top 16, such as is in common use, and as here disclosed it is easily movable thereon.

Threaded into end portion lily of said member 10 is a tube 18 having a central portion 18a, a threaded end portion 18b and a right-angled other end portion 18c. Said tube 18 as here disclosed is of substantial length and has a passage 18d therethrough of rather small diameter. .Said tube 18 is secured to said member 10 by a lock nut 19. Said member it) has a passage itih therein adjacent said end portion ltlf and communicating with said passage 18d. A second passage ltii extends transversely of said passage ltlh and communicates therewith and has a portion extending to the outer side of said raised ber 10.

Communicating with said passage 1011 is a conduit 20 which will extend to a source of supply for providing fluid under pressure. A valve 22 is disposed in said member 10 comprising a valve stem 22a extending through said passage 1% and adapted to control or cut off communication between said conduit 20 and said passage 10h. A packing gland 22b is portion 10 of said memthreaded into a portion of said member 10 and holds sage 10i and is secured to said raised portion ltij. Said 7 diaphragm 24 will be actuated by the pressure of fluid passing through passage 101'. A gauge 25 is carried by said member 10.

prising a stem 25a disposed in an opening 10k extend- In the embodiment of the invention as here illustrated, said gauge 25 is disclose-d as coming vertically through said member and being held therein by a set screw 25b. Secured to said stem 25a is a supporting plate 25c carrying a dial 25d with an indicator 25d thereon. Said plate 25c has a tapered end portion to which is pivoted one end of an arm 25s. The other end of said arm is shown resting on said diaphragm 24. The internal structure of said gauge is not here illustrated but is well known in the art. Upward and downward movement of said arm 252 will actuate movement of said pointer 25d on said dial 25d. A set screw 25] is carried by said gauge 25 for adjusting the tension of the means used for connecting said arm 25c and said dial 25d. Said means is of a structure well known and is not here illustrated.

A piece of work 27 is here shown comprising a tube 27a having a closed end 27b and having therein a bore 27c. Said piece of work is here illustrated as having its closed end secured in jaws 29a of a chuck 29. Said chuck is carried on a rotatable face plate 36 of a power tool, such as a lathe or boring mill. Said jaws will be movable for adjustment as in slides 31 and will be moved thereon in a manner well known in the art, as by a key. Said chuck and face plate are not fully illustrated here nor is the power tool for rotating said face plate illustrated here, as the structure and operation of these items is Well known in the art. Said piece of work 27 is readily adjusted in position by movement of said jaws 29.

In operation, the closed end of work 27 will be secured in said chuck 29. Said chuck will be carried by a face plate 38 of a power tool, such as a lathe, whereby said piece of work will be rotated. The bore 27c in said member 27 will have been roughed in prior to the present operation, and to put said bore into a finished condition it will be necessary to polish it to within a very close tolerance. Prior to the final polishing of the surface of said bore it is essential that the axis of said bore coincide with the axis of rotation of said piece of work. Said base It) is carried on support 13 and together with said base member is readily movable longitudinally of said bore and said tube 18 will first be moved to a point adjacent the inner end of said bore. Said end portion 18c will be placed closely adjacent the surface of said bore. Said support 10 is easily adjusted vertically by movement upwardly and downwardly on said standard 12 and may be tilted for additional adjustment by rotation of said screw 13b, whereby said end portion 18c can easily be placed in a desired position close to the surface of said bore. Valve 22 will next be opened to permit a supply of fluid under pressure to pass from conduit 20, through passages 10h, lili and 18d. Said fluid will pass through passage 18d and outwardly of said end portion 18c and will discharge against the surface of said bore 270. Back pressure will be created causing said fiuid to pass through passage 10i and to actuate said diaphragm 24. Said diaphragm in turn will actuate arm 25c and the movement of said arm 25:: will be indicated on said dial 25a. The indicator 25d on said dial 25d will move to indicate the degree of pressure. Said piece of work 27 will next be rotated and if the distance between said end portion 180 and the surface of said bore 270 is substantially constant, there will be very little variation from said pressure shown on said dial 25d. If variation in said pressure is shown on said dial and particularly variation substantially above or below said pressure, said member 27 will be adjusted until said variation has been eliminated. Said piece of work 27 will be adjusted by movement of the .jaws 29a of said chuck 29. Next said tubular member 18 will be moved outwardly of said bore 27c to a point adjacent its outer end. The operation above just described with said portion 180 ad jacent the inner end of said bore 270 will be repeated until variations in the pressure at said outer end of said bore 27c have been eliminated. This operation may be repeated at one or more intermediate points in said bore.

a very simple structure which easily and efficiently permits an operator to determine that the central axis of a bore extending for a considerable distance into a piece of work coincides with the axis of rotation of the piece of work within which said bore is located. Applicants device has been thoroughly tested in practice and has been very successful in operation.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the device and in the steps and sequence of steps of the method without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a method and device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, such as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described in connection with a piece of work having a bore therein, a rotatable support for said piece of Work and means for varying the position of said piece of Work in said support to bring the central axis of said piece of work into coincidence with the axis of rotation of its bore having in combination, a tube having a laterally directed end portion disposed in said bore, said end portion being adjacent the surface of said bore, a support for said tube, means for moving fluid under pressure through said tube and means carried by said last mentioned support for showing variations in said pressure in said tube in relation to a plurality of points on the surface of said bore, said points defining a plane at right angles to said bore as said piece of work is rotated and positioned in a plurality of positions about said tube to eliminate said variations and thus bring the central axis of said bore into coincidence with the axis of rotation of said piece of work.

2. A device of the class described in connection with a piece of work having a bore therein, a rotatable support for said piece of work and means for varying the position of said piece of work in said support to bring the central axis of said piece of work into coincidence with the axis of rotation of its bore having in combination, a tube disposed in said bore, said tube having a laterally directed end portion, said end portion being positioned adjacent the surface of said bore, a movable support for said tube for moving said tube longitudinally of said bore, means for moving fluid under pressure through said tube and against said surface, and means carried by said second support for showing variations in pressure in said tube in relation to a plurality of points on the surface of said bore, said points defining a plane at right angles to said bore as said piece of work is rotated about said tube indicating variations in the distance between said points on said surface and said end portion of said tube whereby said piece of work can be positioned relative to said tube to eliminate said variations and thus bring the central axis of said bore into coincidence with the axis of rotation of said piece of work.

3. A device of the class described in connection with a piece of work having a bore therein, a rotatable support for said piece of work and means for varying the position of said piece of work in said support to bring the axis of rotation of said piece of work into a desired relationship with the central axis thereof having in combination, a movable support member, a tube carried by said support member and disposed in said bore, said tube having a laterally directed end portion, said end portion being positioned adjacent the surface of said bore, means for moving fiuid under pressure through said tube and against said surface, and means carried by said support member for showing variations in said pressure in said bore at a plurality of points on the surface of said bore, said points defining a plane at right angles to said bore as said piece of Work is rotated about said tube whereby said first mentioned means can be operated to move said work relative to said tube to reduce said variations and bring the axis of rotation of said piece of work into a desired relationship with the central axis of said bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,139,282 Poock et a1 Dec. 6, 1938 6 Aller Sept. 2, 1941 Aller Feb. 27, 1945 Rupley Dec. 6, 1949 Davis Jan. 31, 1950 Gates Mar. 25, 1952 Mahlrneister July 5, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 6, 1950 Great Britain May 14, 1948 Great Britain June 24, 1953 

